Loose-leaf ledger.



No. 818,605. PATBNTED APR. 24, 1906. F. BOLLBNBACH.

LOOSE LEAF LEDGER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULYs, 1905.

@@VMM V @abada/mimi UNITED sTAIgEs PATENT CEEICE.

FRIEDRICH BOLL'ENBACH. OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRDTO ELMER E. HERMAN AND ONE-THIRD T() IVILLIAM M. HOLZINGER, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOOSE-LEAF LEDGER.

Speecation of Letters Patent.

Patented. April 24, 1906.

To rif/Z whont it ntrby cm1/cern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH BCLLEN- BACH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Ledgers, of which the `following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in loose-leaf ledgers; and the invention has for its object the provision of novel means in connection with a suitable book-cover for detachably retaining a plurality of sheets or pages within the cover.

Another object of this invention is the provision of novel Ineans for detachably retaining a plurality of sheets or pages together whereby one or more pages can be removed at any desired time.

To this end I have devised novel means for holding a plurality of sheets together and for locking them together, whereby the sheets cannot be removed from their binding. In connection with the above-mentioned means I have provided means whereby when the binding of the sheets or pages is opened the sheets or pages can be turned or manipulated to expose their reverse sides.

My invention is particularly adapted for ledgers, order-books, and that type of books where it is desired oftentimes to remove pages therefrom without injuring' the binding or the remainder of the pages or sheets contained within the binding.

IVith the above and other objects in view the invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and, referring to the drawings accompanying this application, like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is fragmentary perspective view of a book constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the saine, illustrating the front 5o cover of the binding in an open position. Fig.

3 is a transverse sectional view of the back of the binding, illustrating the sheet or page holders; and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the cover of the binding, 5 5 illustrating` a novel form of lock used in connection with the same, this view being upon an enlarged scale.

To put my invention into practice, I employ a suitable binding consisting of a back 1 6o and a front cover' 2, which are hinged together by a flexible strip 3, these three parts constituting the binding of an ordinary book, and while I will hereinafter refer to the book as a ledger I do not wish it to be understood 65 that I am confined specifically to this type of book, as my iinprrweinents may be readily embodied in any type of book where it is desired to use loose or detachable leaves or sheets.

My invention resides in strengthening the flexible strip 3 by employing hinged Inembers 4, which are hinged together, as at 5, and hinged to the back 1 and cover 2 of the ledger, as at G 6. I employ three -part hinges on account of the thickness of the ledger varying, occasioned by the number of sheets or pages contained therein.

The back 1 of the ledger adjacent to its hinged edge is provided with a plurality of vertically-disposed tubes 6 6 and 7 7, the lower ends of which are flared, as at 8, to be held in position upon the back 1 by the bind- The upper ends of the ing of said back. tubes are beveled, as at 9, in order that pages or sheets of paper 10, having a perforated edge 11, can be secured upon the tubes. These tubes serve functionally as posts to retain the sheets or pages 10 in proper position upon the back 1, the openings of the perforated edge of the sheets or pages heilig spaced according to the distance existing between the tubes 6 and 7.

In the tubes 7 7 I place coiled springs 12 12 and pins 14 14, these pins being employed 95 to facilitate a person in opening the book by the springs 12 expanding and forcing the pins 14 14 upwardly to partially elevate the cover 2 of the ledger.

Centrally of the tubes 7 7 and in alinement therewith I provide a vertically-disposed screw-threaded post 15, upon which 1s ad-v justably mounted a sleeve 16, having a head 17. The head 17 is made of such a size as to permit of the sheets or pages 10 being placed down over the sleeve 16 to engage the tubes 6 6 and 7 7. The head 17 of the sleeve 16 is provided with horizontally-disposed slots 18 18, in which the latches (not shown) of a conventional form of lock 19, carried by the cover 2, are adapted to engage. The lock 19 is of the ordinary form commonly vused and is embedded in the binding of the cover 2, a keyhole being provided upon the eXterior side of the cover in order that a key may be inserted within the lock to release the latches from the head 17 of vthe sleeve.

The cover 2 is provided with tubesor posts 20 20, similar to the tubes 6 6 of the back 1, only of a smaller diameter, whereby when the cover is folded upon the back 1 the posts 20 20 will enter the tubes 6 6.

In order that the pages or sheets 10 of the ledger can be turned like an ordinary book, I provide curved bars 21 21, having depending ends 22 22, which are adapted to engage in the tubes 6 6 of the back 1 and the posts 20 20 of the cover 2, bridging the hinge of the back and cover, whereby the sheets or pages 10 can be transferred from the back to the cover 2, and vice versa.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have illustrated a novel form of locking means that can be conveniently used in connection with the bars 21 21 for locking them within their respective tubes and posts. This locking means consists of providing one of the tubes or posts with springs 23 23, the ends of which extend upwardly into the posts and are adapted to engage the contracted pointed end 24 of one of the bars 21. The pointed end of the bar when inserted in the tube or post will separate the springs 23 23 until it as passed downwardly into the tube or post, permitting the springs to engage the contracted portion of the end of the bar. This form of lock serves to retain the bar suHiciently to revent them becoming detached when the iedger is placed upon its edge or tilted, but not of suiiicient strength to prevent the bars from being detached at any time desired.

The sleeve 16 is made adjustable, whereby it can be raised or lowered to engage the cover 2 of the ledger according to the number of pages or sheets contained therein, and when the cover 2 is locked in engagement with the head 17 of the sleeve 16 it will be impossible for any of the sheets or pages of the ledger to be removed therefrom. In Fig.

1 of the drawings I have illustrated the cover 6 S 2 in a closed position, and it will be observed that the three-part hinges fold in such a manner as to protect the hinged edge of the ledger v and give suflicient rigidity yto the same.

It is thought from the foregoing that the construction, operation, and advantages of the herein-described loose-leaf ledger will be apparent without further description, and various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a book-binding consisting of a back and a cover, of a threepart hinge connecting said cover and said back, tubes carried by said back adjacent its hinged edges and adapted to receive perforated sheets, spring-pressed pins mounted in some of said tubes, a screw-threaded post carried by said back, a slotted sleeve detachably mounted upon said post and adapted to be engaged by a lock carried by said cover, tubes carried by said cover and adapted to fit within some of the tubes of said back, curved bars adapted to it Within the tubes of said cover and said back, means for locking the ends of said bars within said tube,

substantially as described.

2. A binding for perforated sheets of paper consisting of the combination with a back and a cover, of hinges connecting said cover to said back, tubes carried by said back, a post carried by said back, a slotted sleeve adjustably mounted upon said post and adapted to be engaged by a lock carried by said cover, tubes carried by said cover and adapted to fit in the tubes of said back, curved bars adapted to fit in the tubes of said back and cover, means to lock the curved bars within said tubes, and means carried by some of the tubes of the back to force the cover open when released by said lock, substantially as described.

-3. The combination with the back and cover of a binding adapted to contain pages, said pages having perforated edges, of tubes carried by said back and adapted to hold said pages, a sleeve adjustably connected to said back and adapted to'be engaged by a lock carried by said cover, tubes carried by said cover and adapted to engage in the tubes of said back, curved bars adapted to engage in the tubes of said cover and said back, means to lock said bars in said tubes, means carried by said back to force said cover open when released by said lock, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a suitable binding consisting'of a back and cover, said cover having a conventional form of lock, of an ad-y IOO IIO

justabie sleeve carried by said buck and adapted to be engaged by said lock, telescopi@ tubes Carried by said buck und @over und adapted to hold pages, Curved bars adapted to engage in said tubes, means to lock said bars in said tubes, substantaliyus described.

In testimony whereof I ulfx my signature y 1n the presence of two witnesses.

5 FRIEDRICH BOLLENBACIL i \'VitnessesiV C. T. KLos'lnmniNN,

i C. J. 'vnn'rnusiL-wsEN. 

